Seed-sprouter.



M. MILLER.

SEED SPROUTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.l0.l911.

Patented May 21,1918.

M W W Gm" e1 MARY MILLER, 01: THERESA, WISCONSIN.

SEED-SPROUTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 21, 1918.

Application filed November 10, 1917. Serial No. 201,310.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Theresa, in the county of Dodge and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seed-Sprouters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved apparatus for sprouting seeds or grains, especially oats, for use to feed chickens and other fowls, the object of the invention being to provide an improved apparatus of this kind which is extremely simple in construction and which utilizes the heat radiated from a tank of hot water in maintaining the temperature at the required degree to facilitate the sprouting of the oats and avoids the 'use of a lamp or other like heating device and hence obviates the danger of setting fire to the apparatus or the building in which the same may be used.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved oats sprouter, with the door open.

Fig. 2 is a detailed vertical sectional view of the same.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a casing or structure 1, which is up right and of oblong rectangular form, comprising a bottom 2, top 3, sides 4, back 5, and a door 6 which forms a front. The back, front and sides are each made of shiplap lumber 7 lathed on the inner side as at 8 and the laths covered on the inner side as at 9 with waterproof japonized paper or other suitable insulating material; laths 10 are applied over the insulating paper so that dead air spaces are formed. The top and bottom are each composed of two thicknesses of lumber 12 and hence the casing is adapted to retain heat for a considerable length of time. Strips of lathing 14 are secured vertically on the inner sides of the side walls 4 and in spaced relation to each other and provided with horizontally arranged cross bars 15 which serve to support and permit the ready removal of a series of sprouting trays 16 which are arranged in superposed relation and of which six are preferably employed as shown. The inner sides of the back and the front door are.

also provided with vertically arranged lathing strips 17 and hence when the trays are in place and the doors are closed spaces are formed between the trays and spaces are also formed between the sides and ends of the trays and the opposing back, front and side walls of the casing so that heat radiated from a tank 19 and containing hot water and placed in the bottom of the casing, below the lowermost sprouting tray, is permitted to reach and is substantially evenly distributed between all of the sprouting trays. An opening 20 is provided in the top of the casing and suitable fastening devices 21 are provided to secure the door when closed.

The tank is preferably made of galvanized iron and is provided with a filling nipple 22. The bottom, sides and ends are covered with heavy perforated corrugated paper and an outer covering of canvas as at 23 and the top of the tank is covered with a single thickness of pasteboard 24:.

In the use of my improved apparatus the oats are first soaked in warm water for twenty-four hours, then drained, supplied again with warm water and stirred and kept therein for a few minutes, then again drained and the trays placed in the casing and each tray covered with a heavy cloth or piece of grain bag or the like and which should be pressed firmly down. The tank is kept supplied with hot water, which should be renewed two or three times per day according to weather conditions. In practice a new tray of swelled oats should be supplied to the apparatus at each feeding from the bottom, and the oats to be used at a feeding should be taken from the uppermost tray, all the trays being raised as a new tray is supplied at the bottom so that each tray remains in the apparatus six days, which is the period required for thoroughly sprouting the oats.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred form of my invention, I would have it understood that changes may be made in the form, proportion and construction of the several parts, without departing from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim A grain sprouter comprising a casing,

vertically arranged spacing strips secured supporting strips and spaced from the side to the side and end Walls of the casing, Verand end Walls of the casing by the vertical tically spaced horizontal supporting strips strips, whereby heated air may freely eir- 10 secured to the spacing strips of the end culate about the trays.

5 Walls, a hot Water tank arranged in the bot- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

tom of the casing, trays removably arranged in vertical spaced relation on the horizontal 7 7 Mrs. MARY MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D.G. 

